picion
engendered by his calling made him turn back and go slowly to the
doctor's door.

All was perfectly still; the red lamp burned over the principal door,
while over the surgery door the three last letters were more indistinct
than ever, and "Surg" somehow looked like a portion of "Resurgam" on a
memorial stone.

John Whyley went close up to the latter door, and listened. All was
still.

He hesitated a few moments, and then tapped and listened again, when
there seemed to be a slight rustling sound within, but he could not be
sure.

Turning on his light, there, beside him, was a bell-pull with the hole
half-filled with snow.

"Shall I?" he said, hesitating. "People don't like being called up for
a cock-and-bull story, and what have I got to say? These gents came
away tight."

He paused and removed his helmet for another refreshing scratch.

"Was it acting? I've heerd a chap on the stage drawl just like that one
with the thick voice. Now, stop a moment. Let's argufy. Couldn't be
burglary. Yes, it could--body burglary!"

John Whyley grew excited as a strange train of thought ran through his
head in connection with what he had heard tell about surgeons and their
investigations, and purchases delivered in the dead of night.

"I don't care," he said; "wrong or right, I wish I hadn't let that cab
go, and I'll get to the bottom of it before I've done."

It might have been connected with visions of another possible
half-crown, or it might have been in an honest desire to do his duty as
a guardian of the public safety. At any rate, John Whyley gave a
vigorous tug at Dr Chartley's night-bell and waited.

"No answer; that's a suspicious fact," he said to himself; and he rang
again, listened, waited, and rang again.

Hardly had the wire ceased to grate, when a curious whispering voice,
close to his ear, said "What is it?" so strangely that John, who had
only been a year in London, bounded back into the snow, and half drew
his truncheon.

"What is it? Who's there?" came then.

"What a fool I am! Speaking trumpet!" muttered the man, and directing
his light toward the doorpost he saw a raised patch of snow, which upon
being removed displayed a hole.

To this, full of confidence now, John Whyley applied his lips.

"Police!" he said. "Anything wrong?" There was a pause, and then the
same strange voice came again.

"Wait. I'll come down."

Waiting was cold work, and John Whyley took at trot up, a